Paperboard blank and can carrier formed therefrom



Nov. 5, 1957 G. H. PARKER 2,812,105

PAPERBOARD BLANK AND CAN CARRIER FORMED THEREFROM Filed March 9, 1956 United States Patent PAPERBOARD BLANK AND CAN CARRIER FORMED THEREFROM assignor to Container George H. Parker, Chicago, 111.,

a corporation of Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., Delaware This invention relates to can carriers or the like formed of boxboard or other suitable paperboard material and to the blanks from which such carriers may be made. More particularly, it relates to such can carriers of the open end tubular type having an integral handle and a central partition panel, such as that disclosed inThomas W. Foster Patent No. 2,523,985, granted September 26, 1950.

Heretofore can carriers of the type referred to above have required the use of a considerable amount of paperboard material, and this has made such carriers relatively expensive in view of the necessarily high quality and cost of the paperboard. It is an object of the invention to provide a novel blank for a can carrier of the open end tubular type which requires a relatively small amount of paperboard material and is therefore economical to manufacture. Another object is to provide such a blank adapted to nest or interfit with an identical blank so as to save a substantial amount of such material. Still another object is to provide a two-compartment carrier formed from such a blank. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can carrier according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section along line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 shows the blankfrom which the can carrier of Figure 1 is formed and indicates a portion of an identical blank nested or interfitted therewith.

Referring first to Figure 3, the presently preferred form of blank generally indicated at is an elongated sheet of paperboard having a plurality of parallel transverse score or fold lines 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 thereacross defining, in sequence, an attaching panel 20, a partial bottom wall panel 21, a side wall panel 22, a partial top wall panel 23, a handle panel 24, a second handle panel 25, a second partial top wall panel 26, a second side wall panel 27, a second partial bottom wall panel 28 and a partition panel 29. Partition panel 29 is cut away at one side along line 30 to provide a base portion 31 which is substantially as Wide as the rest of blank 10 and a tongue member 32 which extends to the end of the blank. A score or fold line 33 near the end of tongue member 32 defines an attaching flange 34, and the partial top and bottom wall panels 21, 23, 26, 28 each has a pair of can chime locking tabs 35 cut from the material thereof adjacent its ends. Tabs 35 form no part of the present invention, but merely represent one kind of device adapted to hold cans within the can carrier of the invention which is well known in the art. Likewise the finger openings 36 in the handle panels 24 and 25 may be replaced by any other form of carrying arrangement.

The precise form of cut 30 and therefore the exact shape of tongue member 32 need not be as illustrated as long as the tongue members will interfit 'When identical blanks are in longitudinal alignment. One end of the second blank 40 is indicated in dotted line to show the relation of the two blanks. It will be understood of course that blanks 10 and 40 a1'e manufactured simultaneously from a single sheet of paperboard and are then separated along cut 30, which in the case shown is Z- shaped to provide tongue members 32 which are wider near their ends than near their bases. In this way, the tongue members of the two blanks together are substantially as wide as the sheet, and the maximum amount of the paperboard material is conserved consistent with adequate strength in the cam carrier formed therefrom.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the can carrier is formed from the blank by securing attaching panel 20 in face-toface relation to base portion 31, preferably by an adhesive as indicated by the cut away portion of Figure 2. The handle panels 24 and 25 with the attaching flange 34 between them are also secured in back-to-back relation, either by an adhesive or by staples 50, or both, to complete the can carrier.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications of the specific embodiment of the invention hereinabove described may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and it is therefore desired that the scope of the invention be not restricted except as required by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A can carrier blank formed of sheet material such as paperboard, said blank comprising a sheet of substantially elongated rectangular form cut and scored to provide a plurality of hingedly connected rectangular wall panels each of uniform width and all of the same and uniform length, and free of end projections, there being four top and bottom wall panels of equal width and two side wall panels of equal height each disposed between two of said top and bottom wall panels, an attaching panel at one end of said sheet attached to one of said top and bottom wall panels along a fold line and parallel with and disposed within the length of the contiguous panel, a partition panel at the other end of said sheet attached to another of said top and bottom wall panels along a fold line parallel therewith, said partition panel being of the same height as the respective side wall panels and comprising a lower base portion of substantially the same length as the contiguous panel and a tongue portion extending from said base portion and disposed within the length of said contiguous panel, the area of said partition panel approximating one-half the area of the respective side wall panels whereby the partition panel of a succeeding and identical blank may be cut in interfitting relation with the first mentioned partition panel.

2. A can carrier blank formed of sheet material such as paperboard, said blank comprising a sheet of substantially elongated rectangular form cut and scored to provide, in sequence, an attaching panel at one end of said sheet, a first partial bottom wall panel, a first side wall' panel, a first partial top wall panel, a first handle panel, a second handle panel, a second partial top wall panel, a second side wall panel, a second partial bottom wall panel, all of said panels being parallel and of equal and uniform length and free of end projections, said partial top and bottom wall panels being of equal and uniform width and having can retaining tabs hinged thereto and spaced inwardly from the ends thereof, said side wall panels being of equal and uniform height, said handle panels being of equal and uniform height and said attaching panel being of uniform height and disposed within the length of the contiguous first partial bottom wall panel, a partition panel comprising a base portion hinged along a fold line to said second partial bottom wall panel and a tongue portion extending from said base portion, said partition panel being disposed within the length of the contiguous panel and of the same height as said side wall panels and having an'area approximately one-half that of the-respective side wall panels whereby the partition panel of a succeeding and identical blank may be cut in interfitting relation with the first mentioned partition panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,401,549 Nordstrom Dec. 27, 1921 Wesselman Nov. 27, 1945 Lyons Jan. 15, 1946 Holy May 28, 1946 Lebold Jan. 25, 1949 Foster Sept. 26, 1950 Parker Oct. 21, 1952 Empkie May 5, 1953 Carruth Oct. 27, 1953 Currie June 8, 1954 

